Illegal wheat stocking in private godowns raises concern in Sirsa

A wave of concern has swept through Sirsa district as illegal stocking of wheat in private warehouses gains momentum. With wheat harvesting in full swing after Baisakhi, several farmers and traders are allegedly diverting their produce away from government mandis and directly into private godowns — often under the guise of seed processing.

Procurement crosses 1 lakh MT in Sirsa

Wheat procurement is proceeding across the district, with over 1.03 lakh metric tons arriving at local mandis. Of this, 12,953 MT has been procured by the Food and Supplies Department, 66,189 MT by HAFED, and 23,962 MT by Haryana State Warehousing Corporation. Key procurement centres include Kalanwali, Ellenabad, Sirsa, Nathusari Chopta, and Dabwali.

Meanwhile, 70,555 MT of mustard has also been procured under various schemes in the district.

This illegal practice is reportedly causing revenue loss to the government, dodging market fee norms, and potentially paving the way for black marketing of grain.

Along routes like the Rania-Ellenabad bypass and Shamsabad Patti, tractors loaded with wheat have been frequently spotted heading towards private warehouses instead of registered procurement centres. While many of these godowns belong to seed companies, sources allege that some traders are misusing the label to store wheat in bulk for later profit.

A spot check on Monday revealed wheat being unloaded at one such godown. A man supervising the operation claimed the stock had been purchased by a seed company. However, when asked for documentation such as gate passes from the market committee, he responded that only the owner could provide answers.

In another instance, tractors were seen weighing wheat and parking outside godowns, with drivers saying they were merely tasked with delivering the load and were unaware of its next destination.

District Marketing Enforcement Officer Rahul Kundu confirmed the issue and said, “I have written to Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sharma seeking approval for a joint investigation team. The team is expected to be formed by Wednesday and will begin inspections across the district to curb illegal wheat stocking in the name of seed processing.”

The Market Committee has raised alarms as there is no record of the quantity or ownership of the wheat being taken into private facilities — posing a challenge in tracking and regulation.

Haryana Tribune